Cabinet Approves Imperial House Law Amendment; Diet Remains Paralyzed as Ruling Coalition Pushes Through Bills

Government Approves Imperial House Law Amendment Centered on Adoption from Former Imperial Branches On the 30th, the government approved a cabinet decision on a bill to amend the Imperial House Law. The bill allows female imperial family members to retain their status after marriage and permits the adoption of male-line male descendants aged 15 or older from the 11 former imperial branches, granting their descendants eligibility for imperial succession. This marks the first major revision since the law was enacted 47 years ago. The government aims to pass the bill during the current Diet session (which runs until July 17). 1234

Bill Criminalizing Damage to National Flag Passes House of Representatives in Unprecedented Vote with All Opposition Absent On the 30th, a bill criminalizing damage to Japan's national flag passed the House of Representatives with majority support from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party). The vote occurred under abnormal circumstances, with all opposition parties—including the Democratic Party for the People and the Party to Protect the People from the NHK, who jointly submitted the bill—absent in protest of the ruling coalition's强硬 stance. Former Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya of the LDP left the chamber and abstained. In the House of Councillors, the ruling coalition lacks a majority, making the bill's passage uncertain. 567

Ruling Coalition Forces Deliberation on Seat Reduction and Deputy Capital Bills Without Opposition On the 30th, the ruling coalition of the LDP and Nippon Ishin forced through questioning on a bill to reduce the number of House of Representatives seats by 10% and began deliberation on a deputy capital bill, all while opposition members were absent. The ruling coalition aims to pass the bills through the House of Representatives on the 2nd after a committee vote on the 1st. Five opposition parties continue their boycott of deliberations. House of Representatives Speaker Yoshiro Mori is scheduled to meet with ruling and opposition leaders on the 1st to seek a breakthrough, but no prospects for normalizing Diet functions are in sight. 789

387.3 Billion Yen for Domestic AI Development: Government Supports New SoftBank-Affiliated Company On the 30th, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that it will provide 387.3 billion yen in support through NEDO in fiscal 2026 to "Noetra," a domestic AI development company funded by SoftBank and others. The goal is to develop foundational technologies for "physical AI" that operates autonomously in fields such as robotics. The government plans to provide approximately 1 trillion yen in support over five years, positioning this as a key pillar of the growth strategy emphasized by the Prime Minister. 10

Kintetsu Kyoto Line Derailment: Transport Minister Orders Investigation into Cause Regarding the train derailment that occurred on the 29th at Kintetsu Kyoto Station, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kyoko Nishikawa stated on the 30th that she has instructed Kintetsu to investigate the cause and consider measures to prevent recurrence. Full-line operations resumed approximately 26 hours after the accident. Investigators from the Japan Transport Safety Board have completed their on-site investigation, and Kintetsu believes the cause was an abnormality near the switch point. No passengers or crew members were injured. 11

Nasu Couple Murder: Prosecution Seeks Life Imprisonment for Two Defendants; Defense Argues for 20 Years On the 30th, prosecutors sought life imprisonment for both defendants, Hikaru Sasaki and Renken Hirayama, who are charged with murdering a restaurant owner couple in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture, in 2024 and burning their bodies. The prosecution described Sasaki as "the key to the perfect crime" and Hirayama as "the leader of the execution team." The defense argued for subordinate roles and claimed that 20 years in prison would be appropriate. The verdict is scheduled for July 3. 12